


Non-Slip Sneakers

by koutarous



Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Retail, Gen, M/M, Shopping Malls, Slice of Life, changmin works at subway and his friends love to bother him, the boyz all work at a mall lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 17:52:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18238271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koutarous/pseuds/koutarous
Summary: In which The Boyz are all employed in food service or retail at the same mall.More tags to be added as story progresses.





	Non-Slip Sneakers

**Author's Note:**

> i havent seen a lot of fics like this written for the boyz so i thought i'd write my own! this will be a bit more slice of life but there will still be plot obviously lol.

The mall was never busy on Mondays. 

Changmin assumed it was because for a lot of people, the first day of the week. They had bought that new blouse they wanted on Friday, or bought a last minute pair of shoes on Sunday. The teenagers who roamed the mall on Saturdays were back in class (or at least Changmin hoped they were), rather than hanging around the food court, sipping on lukewarm fountain soda. 

So here he was, leaning against the counter, bored out of his mind, trying to eavesdrop on an old couple’s conversation as he wiped down the soda fountain.

“Changmin, you’ve been wiping that counter back and forth for the past minute I’ve been here.” A familiar voice whined, causing Changmin to spin on his heels.

_ Younghoon. _

“I just want a sub, I don’t care if the counters are gross!”   
Younghoon was Changmin’s best friend. The two had met in homeroom freshman year of high school, both awkward and nervous teenagers, and were now inseparable.  Somewhere along the way, probably around when Younghoon came back to school after break 15 centimetres taller, and with pant legs that only went as far as his lower calves, Changmin realized he didn’t  _ only  _ want to be best friends. 

But right now, he has to focus on one thing:  _ making a 6 inch meatball marinara, toasted, on honey oat bread.  _

“The usual?” Changmin asked. 

He didn’t actually _need_ to ask, as he’s never actually _seen_ Younghoon order anything else from the establishment since he was 14. But it was part of the routine. The routine in which every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday (those were the days Younghoon worked afternoons) Younghoon would come to the Subway around 3, order his sub, and chat with Changmin about whatever happened at Lush that day.

“You know it” the former said with a grin. 

As Changmin began preparing the sub, Younghoon droned on, giving a monologue about how working with so many fragrances was giving him migraines, and how he should be entitled to compensation. 

As the oven buzzed, signalling the sub was toasted, Younghoon stopped.

“That reminds me!” He began, as Changmin wrapped the sandwich. “I totally dropped an order of  _ Twilight  _ bath bombs in the back today, and Chanhee was pissed.” he pouted.

“Only 5 broke, so if you want, I can give you one.” Changmin hadn't noticed the purple dust all over Younghoon’s black jeans and apron, until now. “Since we can’t sell them if they’re missing chunks. They work fine though, I promise!”   
“Yeah, sounds good, Younghoon.” Changmin smiled. “Card? And I get off in 3. So I’ll come around then?”

Younghoon fumbled through his wallet, looking for the right card.

“Oh, and take this.” Changmin handed a macadamia nut cookie, wrapped in a green napkin, to Younghoon. “For the bath bomb, obviously.” He blushed, hoping his friend wasn’t paying attention to his now pink-tinted complexion.

“How’d you know these were my favorite?” Younghoon grinned, taking a bite of the cookie, crumbs falling noticeably onto his black dress shirt. Changmin elected to not point them out.

“Because I’ve known you since you were 14. Now, doesn’t your break end in 3?”

 

“So, do I get free cookies too?” 

"Where were you even hiding so you could see that?" Changmin groaned.

"Actually, I just got here in time to see that _disgustingly cute_ scene. Can't I visit my favourite Sandwich Artist when I'm on break?

"You don't even buy anything from here." Changmin deadpanned. "In the past year I've worked here I have never seen you eat a sub."

"I'm not  _asking_ for a sub Changmin. I just think it's only fair that you don't give Younghoon special treatment, since we're all friends. Unlessof course, you like one of said friends in a diff-"

Changmin groaned, cutting Jacob off. “Are you giving me something in return?”

“I could,” Jacob winked, “And by that, of course I mean I can give you my employee discount, if you need a new shirt for, let’s say, a  _ date with our lovely friend Younghoo-” _

“First of all, I would never buy a shirt from the Gap, especially for a date.”

"First of all, you don't go on dates. And we all know why."  Jacob smirks. “Second of all, we actually sell really nice and practical clothes, you know. Just look at this blue button up I’m wearing! Isn't it sexy?" 

Changmin rolled his eyes. 

He and Jacob had gotten to know each other from a ballroom dancing class in University. They were being offered for free, every Thursday night for a month before formal season began. After only two classes, the instructor had decided they were “faster at learning” and “more gifted” than the rest of the class, and paired the two together for the rest of the lessons. After chatting, they learned that they both worked at the same mall. They had never met, despite the mall being quite small, because Changmin never shopped at Gap, and Jacob never ate at Subway.

“Still not my style, and also, I’m not giving you a free cookie.” He smiled, looking the latter up and down.   
“Though at the rate you’re buying Starbucks, you don't need it anyways. How much have you spent in the past month trying to chat up the hot barista you have a thing for?”

Jacob glared at him, taking a sip of his iced green tea latte. “That’s a low blow.”   
“Maybe so,” Changmin hummed. “But two can play at this game, Jacob.”

A bit over a month ago, the food court Starbucks had gotten a new employee. Changmin valued his wallet over elaborate espresso drinks (and got free, albeit mediocre, coffee during his shifts), so he didn’t frequent the place, but he couldn’t  _ not _ notice Jacob’s more frequent visits.

It didn’t take him long to connect the dots when Jacob showed up to Subway with a Frappucino.

_ “Since when are you a 14 year old girl who doesn’t need coffee to get through her shift?” _ __  
_ “Well, I didn’t want to correct Sangy-the barista when he got my order wrong.” _ _  
_ __ “Who?”

Jacob whined. “I didn’t  _ plan _ to get this, but when I went up to order he suggested I try the new drink on their menu.” He took another sip. “It was  _ twice  _ the price of my usual coffee. That means I can’t get a coffee tomorrow”

Changmin stifled a laugh, pouring himself a coffee. He did have a few more hours before he got off work. And after that, he had to go home and finish up his short story for his introductory writing class. “Why don’t you just, I don’t know, talk to him? Didn’t you say he was in your contemporary lit class anyways?”

Jacob groaned. “That would be so weird. I don’t even know him. Plus, there’s like a hundred people in that class!”

"Bro, you're gonna go broke buying Starbucks every shift."

"I need the coffee anyways!"

“Why don't you seduce him with your sexy  _ Gap  _ button downs.” Changmin wiggled his eyebrows.   
Jacob looked down at his bare wrist. “Aaaand would you look at that! I have to get back to work.” he began to walk backwards, slowly, towards the wing of the mall where Gap was located. “See you Saturday, Changmin. And you still owe me a cookie, since you gave one to Younghoon!” 

**Author's Note:**

> so theres chapter 1 folks! i hope you enjoyed reading it enough to stick around and see whats to come of the future mall adventures the boyz will have:) to clear up any confusion, so far we have:  
> to clear up confusion:  
> changmin: subway  
> jacob: gap  
> sangyeon: starbucks  
> younghoon: lush  
> i do plan on having all of the boyz appear at one point or another in future chapters btw!!  
> if you want, you can come to talk to me on twitter @haknyeonitis or on curiouscat @umjiswife!!


End file.
